Kansas vs Arkansas Prediction, Preview & Odds: NCAA Tournament First Round

Kansas vs Arkansas How To Watch

Date: Thursday, March 20
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
Time: 7:10 pm ET
TV: CBS
Teams: (10) Arkansas (20-13), (7) Kansas (21-12)
Region: West
NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Previews

Why Arkansas Will Win

What did Arkansas do that was so right down the stretch? It scored. A lot.

Good things happened when the Hogs were able to keep up the scoring pace. And before you think, “yeah, no kidding, score a lot, win,” that’s not how it worked in the SEC this season - ask Mississippi State.

The Hogs don’t do much from three, but they’re solid on the defensive boards and good enough at guarding the three. But again, scoring.

They’re 11-0 when scoring more than 81 points, 16-3 when scoring more than 74, and 19-4 when scoring more than 67. On the flip side, they’re 1- 9 when failing to get to 68 points. But …

Why Kansas Will Win

For all of the Kansas problems this season, there were times when the defense clamped down really, really hard.

It managed to allow fewer than 74 points in 18 of the 33 games, and that included a win over Michigan State and a 75-72 victory over Duke.

The defense went bye-bye at times late in the year, but more often than not it was when the other side - like in the back-to-back mid-February losses to Utah and BYU - went off from three. And …

Kansas vs Arkansas: Who Will Win?

Arkansas managed to hit ten or more threes just five times, and only once - a win over Kentucky - was it against an SEC team.

The Hogs don’t have to go off from the outside to pull this off, but they have to be solid from the field because they don’t do much of anything on the offensive glass.

This won’t be anything pretty. Neither side will get a slew of second chance points, the scoring will bog down at times, and that will all favor Kansas. However, Arkansas will up the tempo just enough.

Yes, Kansas beat Duke. That was on November 26th. That was the last win over an NCAA Tournament team away from Lawrence.

The Jayhawks won’t win their free throws when it matters.

Kansas vs Arkansas Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Arkansas 75, Kansas 72
Kansas vs Arkansas Betting Lines
BetMGM Line: Kansas -4.5, o/u: 146.5
DraftKings Line: Kansas -4.5, o/u: 145.5
FanDuel Line: Kansas -4.5, o/u: 145.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

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